{"id":91980,"date":"2023-08-11T12:53:21","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T12:53:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/?post_type=definition&p=91980"},"modified":"2024-01-15T10:37:55","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T10:37:55","slug":"zk-snark","status":"publish","type":"definition","link":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/zk-snark","title":{"rendered":"zk-SNARK"},"content":{"rendered":"
zk-SNARK is an acronym for Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge, and it’s a revolutionary technology in the world of cryptography.<\/p>\n
Similarly to Zero-Knowledge proofs<\/a>, it allows one party, called the prover, to convince another, known as the verifier, that they have specific knowledge or information without revealing the actual details of that information.<\/p>\n It’s like showing someone you have a key to a lock without letting them see the key itself \u2013 through zk-SNARKs, you can maintain privacy while still providing proof.<\/p>\n Here’s a summary of what zk-SNARKs are all about:<\/p>\n This technology has wide applications in secure communications, cryptography<\/a>, and privacy-preserving data analysis.<\/p>\n To truly appreciate the elegance of zk-SNARKs, one must understand the nuances of their operation<\/a>.<\/p>\n They allow a new level of interaction between parties, where the proof can be succinctly presented and verified without unnecessary complexity.<\/p>\n In essence, zk-SNARKs take the age-old challenge of verifying truth without revealing the substance of that truth and solve it through a meticulously constructed mathematical approach.<\/p>\n The magic behind zk-SNARKs lies in their unique use of cryptographic commitments, elliptic curve pairings<\/a>, and polynomial equations.<\/p>\n These components interact to enable a prover to create proof that they know certain information and a verifier to check that proof, all without exposing the underlying data.<\/p>\n This profound innovation has unlocked doors to applications that were once considered infeasible, fostering a more secure and private digital landscape.<\/p>\n Whether it’s in financial transactions, identity verification, or confidential agreements, zk-SNARKs are redefining the boundaries of what’s possible in secure communications.<\/p>\n To understand how zk-SNARKs work, we’ll break it down into a step-by-step <\/strong>process<\/a>:<\/p>\n 1. Key Generation (G)<\/strong>: A secret parameter lambda is used to generate two public keys<\/a>, a proving key (pk), and a verification key (vk). A critical aspect of zk-SNARKs is the “toxic waste” parameter lambda<\/a>, which must be securely discarded during the generation process. Otherwise, it could be used to create fake proofs.<\/p>\n The concept of zero-knowledge proofs was introduced in 1985 by Shafi Goldwasser, Silvio Micali, and Charles Rackoff.<\/p>\n But it was only in 2012 that the term “zk-SNARK” came along, coined by Nir Bitansky, Ran Canetti, Alessandro Chiesa, and Eran Tromer.<\/p>\n This non-interactive method paved the way for real-world applications, including:<\/p>\n The breakthroughs in modern cryptography have illuminated a path towards a secure and private digital world, and within this universe, zk-SNARKs shine as one of the most fascinating stars.<\/p>\n By serving as a linchpin in privacy-preserving<\/a> technologies, zk-SNARKs are not just a theoretical concept but a practical tool that empowers businesses, governments, and individuals alike.<\/p>\n\n
How Do zk-SNARKs Work?<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n2. Proof Creation (P):<\/strong> The prover takes the proving key (pk), a public input (x), and a private witness (w) to generate proof (prf) that the secret is known.
\n3. Verification (V):<\/strong> The verifier uses the verification key (vk) to validate the proof without ever knowing the secret itself.<\/p>\nThe History of zk-SNARK<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Why is zk-SNARK important?<\/span><\/h2>\n